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Holzner A, Mohd Rameli NIA, Ruppert N, Widdig A. Agricultural habitat use affects infant survivorship in an endangered macaque species. Curr Biol 2024; 34:410-416.e4. [PMID: 38194972 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Infant survival is a major determinant of individual fitness and constitutes a crucial factor in shaping species' ability to maintain viable populations in changing environments.1 Early adverse conditions, such as maternal loss, social isolation, and ecological hazards, have been associated with reduced rates of infant survivorship in wild primates.2,3,4 Agricultural landscapes increasingly replacing natural forest habitats may additionally threaten the survival of infants through exposure to novel predators,5 human-wildlife conflicts,6,7 or the use of harmful chemicals.8,9 Here, we investigated potential links between agricultural habitat use and high infant mortality in wild southern pig-tailed macaques (Macaca nemestrina) inhabiting a mosaic landscape of rainforest and oil palm plantation in Peninsular Malaysia. Longitudinal data revealed that 57% of all infants born during the study period (2014-2023) died before the age of 1 year, far exceeding mortality rates reported for other wild primates.10,11,12,13,14 Importantly, prolonged time spent in the plantation during infancy decreased the likelihood of infant survival by 3-fold, likely caused by increased exposure to the threats inherent to this environment. Further, mortality risk was elevated for infants born to primiparous mothers and predicted by prolonged maternal interbirth intervals, suggesting potential long-term effects attributed to the uptake and/or accumulation of pesticides in mothers' bodies.15,16,17 Indeed, existing literature reports that pesticides may cross the placental barrier, thus impacting fetal development during pregnancy.18,19,20 Our findings emphasize the importance of minimizing anthropogenic threats to wildlife in agricultural landscapes by establishing environmentally friendly cultivation practices that can sustain wildlife populations in the long term.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Holzner
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Pulau Pinang, Malaysia.
| | - Nurul Iza Adrina Mohd Rameli
- School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Pulau Pinang, Malaysia; Malaysian Primatological Society, Kulim 09000 Kedah, Malaysia
| | - Nadine Ruppert
- School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Pulau Pinang, Malaysia; Malaysian Primatological Society, Kulim 09000 Kedah, Malaysia.
| | - Anja Widdig
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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2
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Hammer R, Stribos MS, Boehm PM, Pink KE, Herzele J, Wallner B, Huffman MA, Massen JJM, Pflüger LS. A novel methodological approach for group classification during fission of a semi-free-ranging group of Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata). Am J Primatol 2023; 85:e23463. [PMID: 36594448 PMCID: PMC10078252 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The self-initiated split of a social group, known as fission, is a challenge faced by many group-living animals. The study of group fission and the social restructuring process in real time provides insights into the mechanism of this biologically important process. Previous studies on fission in Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) assigned individuals to newly reorganized groups mainly using behavioral observations and group attendance records based on periods before or after fission itself. Here, we present a novel framework for group classification during the process of fission that uses quantifiable behavioral variables and statistical analyses. The framework was tested on a group fission process at Affenberg Landskron (Austria), a park that housed around 160 semi-free-ranging Japanese macaques. The behavioral data were collected for 26 days during fission. We analyzed three behavioral developments recurrent in fissions in Japanese macaques, that is, independence of behavior, participation in group movements, and separation of nomadic ranges. These analyses were combined to assign individuals to different groups. Our study resulted in one main group (N = 33), one subgroup (N = 36) and 56 individuals whose group membership was still undefined. The demographic characteristics of these newly formed groups were comparable with those of fissioned groups in wild populations. Furthermore, we found that these newly forming groups showed early social dynamics of fission five months before group level movements, that is: grouping based on spatial proximity and spatial withdrawal of the subgroup to the periphery. These results underline the validity of our novel framework to study social dynamics in Japanese macaques during the process of fission. It represents an important addition to existing methods, and we recommend testing its scope in other primate societies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roy Hammer
- Department of Biology, Animal Behaviour and CognitionUtrecht UniversityUtrechtThe Netherlands
| | - Mathieu S. Stribos
- Department of Biology, Animal Behaviour and CognitionUtrecht UniversityUtrechtThe Netherlands
| | - Pia M. Boehm
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive BiologyUniversity of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Katharina E. Pink
- Department of Evolutionary AnthropologyUniversity of ViennaViennaAustria
| | | | - Bernard Wallner
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive BiologyUniversity of ViennaViennaAustria
- Austrian Research Center for PrimatologyOssiachAustria
| | - Michael A. Huffman
- Austrian Research Center for PrimatologyOssiachAustria
- Wildlife Research CenterKyoto UniversityAichiInuyamaJapan
| | - Jorg J. M. Massen
- Department of Biology, Animal Behaviour and CognitionUtrecht UniversityUtrechtThe Netherlands
- Austrian Research Center for PrimatologyOssiachAustria
| | - Lena S. Pflüger
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive BiologyUniversity of ViennaViennaAustria
- Austrian Research Center for PrimatologyOssiachAustria
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3
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Suzuki H, Huffman MA, Takahata Y. Process of Japanese macaque group fission at Arashiyama and the influences of maternal kin relations and social relations between adult males and females on it. Primates 2023; 64:79-90. [PMID: 36222983 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-022-01024-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
In 1986, the Japanese macaques of Arashiyama B group fissioned into Arashiyama E and F groups through the following process. In December 1985, the death of the beta male triggered aggressive interactions among the adult males of B group, leading to a decline in the ranks of two mid-ranked males. Several females started to gather around these two males, formed a stable subgroup (here called the female cluster), and spatially distanced themselves from other group members (main group). Some of these females had mating relations with these two males in previous mating seasons. After the end of the 1985-86 mating season, agonistic interactions occurred frequently between the female cluster and main group. Eventually, two independent groups were established. The females within the 4th degrees of matrilineal consanguinity tended to belong to the same group, but no such tendency occurred in those dyads separated by the 5th or more degrees. After the completion of group fission, mating occurred only a few times between E and F group members. In 1986, when the group fission was in progress, the birth rate of both branch groups declined, and infant mortality increased in E group. After 1987, the birth rate recovered in both branch groups although infant mortality remained high.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hisayo Suzuki
- Museum of Nature and Human Activities, Sanda, Hyogo, 669-1546, Japan
| | - Michael A Huffman
- Wildlife Research Center, Inuyama Campus, Kyoto University, 41-2 Kanrin, Inuyama, Aichi, 484-8506, Japan
| | - Yukio Takahata
- Kwansei Gakuin University, Gakuen, Sanda, 669-1337, Japan.
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4
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Wellens KR, Lee SM, Winans JC, Pusey AE, Murray CM. Female chimpanzee associations with male kin: trade-offs between inbreeding avoidance and infanticide protection. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
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5
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Cooper EB, Brent LJN, Snyder-Mackler N, Singh M, Sengupta A, Khatiwada S, Malaivijitnond S, Qi Hai Z, Higham JP. The natural history of model organisms: the rhesus macaque as a success story of the Anthropocene. eLife 2022; 11:78169. [PMID: 35801697 PMCID: PMC9345599 DOI: 10.7554/elife.78169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Of all the non-human primate species studied by researchers, the rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) is likely the most widely used across biological disciplines. Rhesus macaques have thrived during the Anthropocene and now have the largest natural range of any non-human primate. They are highly social, exhibit marked genetic diversity, and display remarkable niche flexibility (which allows them to live in a range of habitats and survive on a variety of diets). These characteristics mean that rhesus macaques are well-suited for understanding the links between sociality, health and fitness, and also for investigating intra-specific variation, adaptation and other topics in evolutionary ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eve B Cooper
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, United States
| | | | | | - Mewa Singh
- Biopsychology Laboratory, University of Mysore, Mysuru, India
| | | | - Sunil Khatiwada
- Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Garbatka, Poland
| | | | - Zhou Qi Hai
- Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, China
| | - James P Higham
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, United States
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6
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Lerch BA, Abbott KC, Archie EA, Alberts SC. Better baboon break-ups: collective decision theory of complex social network fissions. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20212060. [PMID: 34875192 PMCID: PMC8651414 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Many social groups are made up of complex social networks in which each individual associates with a distinct subset of its groupmates. If social groups become larger over time, competition often leads to a permanent group fission. During such fissions, complex social networks present a collective decision problem and a multidimensional optimization problem: it is advantageous for each individual to remain with their closest allies after a fission, but impossible for every individual to do so. Here, we develop computational algorithms designed to simulate group fissions in a network-theoretic framework. We focus on three fission algorithms (democracy, community and despotism) that fall on a spectrum from a democratic to a dictatorial collective decision. We parameterize our social networks with data from wild baboons (Papio cynocephalus) and compare our simulated fissions with actual baboon fission events. We find that the democracy and community algorithms (egalitarian decisions where each individual influences the outcome) better maintain social networks during simulated fissions than despotic decisions (driven primarily by a single individual). We also find that egalitarian decisions are better at predicting the observed individual-level outcomes of observed fissions, although the observed fissions often disturbed their social networks more than the simulated egalitarian fissions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian A. Lerch
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, USA
- Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Karen C. Abbott
- Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Elizabeth A. Archie
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Susan C. Alberts
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
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7
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Croft DP, Weiss MN, Nielsen MLK, Grimes C, Cant MA, Ellis S, Franks DW, Johnstone RA. Kinship dynamics: patterns and consequences of changes in local relatedness. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20211129. [PMID: 34403632 PMCID: PMC8370800 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.1129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Mounting evidence suggests that patterns of local relatedness can change over time in predictable ways, a process termed kinship dynamics. Kinship dynamics may occur at the level of the population or social group, where the mean relatedness across all members of the population or group changes over time, or at the level of the individual, where an individual's relatedness to its local group changes with age. Kinship dynamics are likely to have fundamental consequences for the evolution of social behaviour and life history because they alter the inclusive fitness payoffs to actions taken at different points in time. For instance, growing evidence suggests that individual kinship dynamics have shaped the evolution of menopause and age-specific patterns of helping and harming. To date, however, the consequences of kinship dynamics for social evolution have not been widely explored. Here we review the patterns of kinship dynamics that can occur in natural populations and highlight how taking a kinship dynamics approach has yielded new insights into behaviour and life-history evolution. We discuss areas where analysing kinship dynamics could provide new insight into social evolution, and we outline some of the challenges in predicting and quantifying kinship dynamics in natural populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darren P. Croft
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Michael N. Weiss
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
- Center for Whale Research, Friday Harbour, WA, USA
| | - Mia L. K. Nielsen
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Charli Grimes
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Michael A. Cant
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall, UK
| | - Samuel Ellis
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Daniel W. Franks
- Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK
- Department of Computer Science, University of York, York, UK
| | - Rufus A. Johnstone
- Behaviour and Evolution Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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8
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Stredulinsky EH, Darimont CT, Barrett-Lennard L, Ellis GM, Ford JKB. Family feud: permanent group splitting in a highly philopatric mammal, the killer whale (Orcinus orca). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-02992-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
For animals that tend to remain with their natal group rather than individually disperse, group sizes may become too large to benefit individual fitness. In such cases, group splitting (or fission) allows philopatric animals to form more optimal group sizes without sacrificing all familiar social relationships. Although permanent group splitting is observed in many mammals, it occurs relatively infrequently. Here, we use combined generalized modeling and machine learning approaches to provide a comprehensive examination of group splitting in a population of killer whales (Orcinus orca) that occurred over three decades. Fission occurred both along and across maternal lines, where animals dispersed in parallel with their closest maternal kin. Group splitting was more common: (1) in larger natal groups, (2) when the common maternal ancestor was no longer alive, and (3) among groups with greater substructuring. The death of a matriarch did not appear to immediately trigger splitting. Our data suggest intragroup competition for food, leadership experience and kinship are important factors that influence group splitting in this population. Our approach provides a foundation for future studies to examine the dynamics and consequences of matrilineal fission in killer whales and other taxa.
Significance statement
Group living among mammals often involves long-term social affiliation, strengthened by kinship and cooperative behaviours. As such, changes in group membership may have significant consequences for individuals’ fitness and a population’s genetic structure. Permanent group splitting is a complex and relatively rare phenomenon that has yet to be examined in detail in killer whales. In the context of a growing population, in which offspring of both sexes remain with their mothers for life, we provide the first in-depth examination of group splitting in killer whales, where splitting occurs both along and across maternal lines. We also undertake the first comprehensive assessment of how killer whale intragroup cohesion is influenced by both external and internal factors, including group structure, population and group demography, and resource abundance.
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9
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Philopatry at the frontier: A demographically driven scenario for the evolution of multilevel societies in baboons (Papio). J Hum Evol 2020; 146:102819. [PMID: 32736063 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2020.102819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2019] [Revised: 04/25/2020] [Accepted: 04/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The baboons (Papio sp.) exhibit marked interspecies variation in social behavior. The thesis presented here argues, first, that male philopatry is a crucial factor, arguably the crucial factor, underlying the other distinctive features (one-male units, multilevel society) shared by hamadryas and Guinea baboons, but not other species of Papio. The second suggestion is that male philopatry as a population norm was not an adaptation to a particular habitat or set of ecological circumstances but evolved in the common ancestor of hamadryas and Guinea baboons as a response to natural selection in the demographic context peculiar to the frontier of a rapidly expanding population. Other derived features of social structure (male-male tolerance, some facultative female dispersal) subsequently evolved to accommodate male philopatry. The mitochondrial genetic population structure of extant baboons preserves a footprint of the initial expansion of 'modern' Papio. Immediately after the expansion, male-philopatric, multilevel populations with a general physical and behavioral resemblance to Guinea baboons occupied the whole northern hemisphere range of the genus. Behavioral and physical autapomorphies of hamadryas baboons evolved in a subpopulation of this ancestral northern base, in response to a less productive habitat of the Horn of Africa. Subsequently, ancestral olive baboons 'reinvented' male dispersal. They and yellow baboons, another male-dispersing species, then replaced most of the male-philopatric northern populations, by male-driven introgression and nuclear swamping.
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10
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Goodfellow CK, Whitney T, Christie DM, Sicotte P, Wikberg EC, Ting N. Divergence in gut microbial communities mirrors a social group fission event in a black-and-white colobus monkey (Colobus vellerosus). Am J Primatol 2019; 81:e22966. [PMID: 30920682 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2018] [Revised: 02/11/2019] [Accepted: 02/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Host behavior and social factors have increasingly been implicated in structuring the composition of gut microbial communities. In social animals, distinct microbial communities characterize different social groups across a variety of taxa, although little longitudinal research has been conducted that demonstrates how this divergence occurs. Our study addresses this question by characterizing the gut microbial composition of an African Old World monkey, the black-and-white colobus (Colobus vellerosus), before and after a social group fission event. Gut microbial taxonomic composition of these monkeys was profiled using the V-4 hypervariable region of the bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA gene, and pairwise-relatedness values were calculated for all individuals using 17 short tandem repeat loci and partial pedigree information. The two social groups in this study were found to harbor distinct microbial signatures after the fission event from which they emerged, while these communities were not divergent in the same individuals before this event. Three genera were found to differ in abundance between the two new social groups: Parabacteroides, Coprococcus, and Porphyromonadaceae. Additionally, although this fission happened partially along lines of relatedness, relatedness did not structure the differences that we found. Taken together, this study suggests that distinct gut microbial profiles can emerge in social groups in <1 year and recommends further work into more finely mapping the timescales, causes, and potentially adaptive effects of this recurring trend toward distinct group microbial signatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire K Goodfellow
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon.,Department of Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon
| | - Tabor Whitney
- Department of Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon
| | - Diana M Christie
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon.,Department of Anthropology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon
| | - Pascale Sicotte
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Eva C Wikberg
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Nelson Ting
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon.,Department of Anthropology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon
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11
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Feldblum JT, Manfredi S, Gilby IC, Pusey AE. The timing and causes of a unique chimpanzee community fission preceding Gombe's "Four-Year War". AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2018; 166:730-744. [PMID: 29566432 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2017] [Revised: 02/23/2018] [Accepted: 03/04/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES While permanent group fissions are documented in humans and other primate species, they are relatively rare in male philopatric primates. One of the few apparent cases occurred in 1973 in Gombe National Park, Tanzania, when a community of chimpanzees split into two separate groups, preceding the famous "Four-Year War." We tested the hypothesis that the original group was a single cohesive community that experienced permanent fission, and investigated several potential catalysts. MATERIALS AND METHODS We calculated association, grooming, and ranging metrics from historical data and used community detection algorithms and matrix permutation tests to determine the timing, dynamics, and causes of changes in social network subgrouping structure. RESULTS We found that the two communities indeed split from one cohesive community, albeit one with incipient subgrouping. The degree of subgrouping in grooming and association networks increased sharply in 1971 and 1972, a period characterized by a dominance struggle between three high-ranking males and unusually high male:female sex ratios. Finally, we found a relationship between post-split community membership and previous association, grooming and ranging patterns in most periods of analysis, one that became more pronounced as the fission approached. DISCUSSION Our analysis suggests that the community began to split during a time of an unusually male-biased sex ratio and a protracted dominance struggle, and that adult males remained with those with whom they had preferentially associated prior to the split. We discuss the costs and benefits of group membership in chimpanzees and contrast these results with group fissions in humans and other taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph T Feldblum
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, 27708
| | - Sofia Manfredi
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, 27708
| | - Ian C Gilby
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, and Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, 85287
| | - Anne E Pusey
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, 27708
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12
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Larson SM, Ruiz-Lambides A, Platt ML, Brent LJ. Social network dynamics precede a mass eviction in group-living rhesus macaques. Anim Behav 2018; 136:185-193. [PMID: 29887618 PMCID: PMC5990275 DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.08.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Network dynamics can reveal information about the adaptive function of social behaviour and the extent to which social relationships can flexibly respond to extrinsic pressures. Changes in social networks occur following changes to the social and physical environment. By contrast, we have limited understanding of whether changes in social networks precede major group events. Permanent evictions can be important determinants of gene flow and population structure and are a clear example of an event that might be preceded by social network dynamics. Here we examined the social networks of a group of rhesus macaques, Macaca mulatta, in the 2 years leading up to the eviction of 22% of adult females, which are the philopatric sex. We found that females engaged in the same amount of aggression and grooming in the 2 years leading up to the eviction but that there were clear changes in their choice of social partners. Females that would eventually be evicted received more aggression from lower-ranking females as the eviction approached. Evicted females also became more discriminating in their grooming relationships in the year nearer the split, showing a greater preference for one another and becoming more cliquish. Put simply, the females that would later be evicted continued to travel with the rest of the group as the eviction approached but were less likely to interact with other group members in an affiliative manner. These results have potential implications for understanding group cohesion and the balance between cooperation and competition that mediates social groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sam M. Larson
- Department of Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A
| | | | - Michael L. Platt
- Departments of Neuroscience, Psychology, and Marketing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A
| | - Lauren J.N. Brent
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, U.K
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13
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Hernandez-Pacheco R, Delgado DL, Rawlins RG, Kessler MJ, Ruiz-Lambides AV, Maldonado E, Sabat AM. Managing the Cayo Santiago rhesus macaque population: The role of density. Am J Primatol 2016; 78:167-81. [PMID: 25597512 PMCID: PMC4504838 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2014] [Revised: 11/24/2014] [Accepted: 12/09/2014] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Cayo Santiago is the oldest continuously operating free-ranging rhesus monkey colony in the world. Population control of this colony has historically been carried out by periodic live capture and removal of animals. However, the effect of such a strategy on the size, growth rate, age structure, and sex ratio of the population has not been analyzed. This study reviews past removal data and uses a population projection model to simulate the effects of different removal schemes based on Cayo Santiago demographic data from 2000-2012. The model incorporates negative density-dependence in female fertility, as well as male and female survival rates, to determine the population-level effects of selective removal by age and sex. Modeling revealed that removal of sexually immature individuals has negligible effects on the population dynamics explaining why with an initial population of 1309 in 2000 and annual removals of immature monkeys a mean annual population growth rate of 12% and a final population size of ∼1,435 individuals by 2012 (∼0.009 animal/m(2) ) was observed. With no removals, the population is expected to exhibit dampened oscillations until reaching equilibrium at ∼1,690 individuals (∼0.0111 animal/m(2) ) in 2,100. In contrast, removal of adult females (≥4 yrs) would significantly reduce the population size, but would also promote an increase in population growth rate due to density feedback. A maximum annual production of 275 births is expected when 550 adult females are present in the population. Sensitivity analyses showed that removing females, in contrast to controlling their fertility through invasive treatments would contribute the most to changes in population growth rate. Given the density compensation on fertility, stabilizing the population would require removing ∼80% of the current population of adult females. This study highlights the importance of addressing the population-level density effects, as well as sensitivity analyses, to optimize management strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Diana L Delgado
- University of Puerto Rico-Río Piedras, Río Piedras, Puerto Rico
| | - Richard G Rawlins
- Caribbean Primate Research Center, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Matthew J Kessler
- Office of Laboratory Animal Resources, Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
| | | | - Elizabeth Maldonado
- Caribbean Primate Research Center, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Alberto M Sabat
- University of Puerto Rico-Río Piedras, Río Piedras, Puerto Rico
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14
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Rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) recognize group membership via olfactory cues alone. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-015-2013-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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15
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Widdig A, Kessler MJ, Bercovitch FB, Berard JD, Duggleby C, Nürnberg P, Rawlins RG, Sauermann U, Wang Q, Krawczak M, Schmidtke J. Genetic studies on the Cayo Santiago rhesus macaques: A review of 40 years of research. Am J Primatol 2015; 78:44-62. [PMID: 26031601 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2014] [Revised: 04/17/2015] [Accepted: 04/19/2015] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Genetic studies not only contribute substantially to our current understanding of the natural variation in behavior and health in many species, they also provide the basis of numerous in vivo models of human traits. Despite the many challenges posed by the high level of biological and social complexity, a long lifespan and difficult access in the field, genetic studies of primates are particularly rewarding because of the close evolutionary relatedness of these species to humans. The free-ranging rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) population on Cayo Santiago (CS), Puerto Rico, provides a unique resource in this respect because several of the abovementioned caveats are of either minor importance there, or lacking altogether, thereby allowing long-term genetic research in a primate population under constant surveillance since 1956. This review summarizes more than 40 years of genetic research carried out on CS, from early blood group typing and the genetic characterization of skeletal material via population-wide paternity testing with DNA fingerprints and short tandem repeats (STRs) to the analysis of the highly polymorphic DQB1 locus within the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). The results of the paternity studies also facilitated subsequent studies of male dominance and other factors influencing male reproductive success, of male reproductive skew, paternal kin bias, and mechanisms of paternal kin recognition. More recently, the CS macaques have been the subjects of functional genetic and gene expression analyses and have played an important role in behavioral and quantitative genetic studies. In addition, the CS colony has been used as a natural model for human adult-onset macular degeneration, glaucoma, and circadian rhythm disorder. Our review finishes off with a discussion of potential future directions of research on CS, including the transition from STRs to single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) typing and whole genome sequencing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja Widdig
- Research Group of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Junior Research Group of Primate Kin Selection, Department of Primatology, Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.,Caribbean Primate Research Center, University of Puerto Rico, Punta Santiago, Puerto Rico
| | - Matthew J Kessler
- Caribbean Primate Research Center, University of Puerto Rico, Punta Santiago, Puerto Rico.,Division of Laboratory Animal Resources, Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
| | - Fred B Bercovitch
- Primate Research Institute & Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, Japan
| | - John D Berard
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Greater Los Angeles Health Care System, North Hills, California
| | - Christine Duggleby
- Department of Anthropology, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York
| | - Peter Nürnberg
- Cologne Center for Genomics, University of Cologne, Köln, Germany
| | - Richard G Rawlins
- Caribbean Primate Research Center, University of Puerto Rico, Punta Santiago, Puerto Rico
| | - Ulrike Sauermann
- Unit of Infection Models, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Qian Wang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University Baylor College of Dentistry, Texas
| | - Michael Krawczak
- Institute of Medical Informatics and Statistics, Christian-Albrechts University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Jörg Schmidtke
- Institute of Human Genetics, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
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16
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Berman CM. Primate Kinship: Contributions from Cayo Santiago. Am J Primatol 2015; 78:63-77. [PMID: 25704962 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2014] [Revised: 12/29/2014] [Accepted: 01/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Research on Cayo Santiago and Japan deserves credit for launching the study of primate kinship and for continuing to help shape it in important ways. This review describes the origins of kinship research on Cayo Santiago, beginning with Donald Sade's pioneering work establishing the concepts of kin preferences, matrilineal dominance systems and incest avoidance. It then reviews subsequent research by later Cayo Santiago researchers and alumni, focusing primarily on maternal kinship. Together these researchers have greatly expanded our knowledge of kin preferences in rhesus in terms of (i) what age-sex classes, behaviors and types of kin show them, (ii) the ways in which kinship interfaces with rank, sex, age, and dispersal patterns, and (iii) the graded and variably limited nature of kin preferences in terms of degree of relatedness. Second, the argument for kin selection at least for some types of behavior has survived challenges posed by several alternative explanations, and has been both strengthened by recent findings of paternal kin preferences and narrowed by studies showing that unilateral altruism may extend only to very close kin. Third, work on Cayo Santiago has contributed to an appreciation that both current conditions and inherent social characteristics may influence the strength of kin preferences, and fourth, it has contributed to an understanding of the possible origins of our own species' family systems. Cayo Santiago became a leader in kinship research in large part because of management practices that produce known extended lineages. These lineages have promoted and accelerated research on kinship, prompting other researchers to investigate its importance in other groups and species, where its effects only then became clear. The extended lineages remain valuable tools for research on a species that lives in a broad range of environments in the wild, including those with key parallels to Cayo Santiago.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carol M Berman
- Department of Anthropology and Graduate Program in Evolution, Ecology and Behavior, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York
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Snyder-Mackler N, Alberts SC, Bergman TJ. The socio-genetics of a complex society: female gelada relatedness patterns mirror association patterns in a multilevel society. Mol Ecol 2014; 23:6179-91. [PMID: 25362869 DOI: 10.1111/mec.12987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2014] [Revised: 10/18/2014] [Accepted: 10/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Multilevel societies with fission-fusion dynamics--arguably the most complex animal societies--are defined by two or more nested levels of organization. The core of these societies are modular social units that regularly fission and fuse with one another. Despite convergent evolution in disparate taxa, we know strikingly little about how such societies form and how fitness benefits operate. Understanding the kinship structure of complex societies could inform us about the origins of the social structure as well as about the potential for individuals in these societies to accrue indirect fitness benefits. Here, we combined genetic and behavioural data on geladas (Theropithecus gelada), an Old World Monkey, to complete the most comprehensive socio-genetic analysis of a multilevel society to date. In geladas, individuals in the core social 'units', associate at different frequencies to form 'teams', 'bands' and, the largest aggregations, 'communities'. Units were composed of closely related females, and females remained with their close kin during permanent fissions of units. Interestingly, female-female relatedness also significantly predicted between-unit, between-team and between-band association patterns, while male-male relatedness did not. Thus, it is likely that the socio-genetic structure of gelada society results from females maintaining associations with their female relatives during successive unit fissions--possibly in an attempt to balance the direct and indirect fitness benefits of group living. Overall, the persistence of associations among related females across generations appears to drive the formation of higher levels of gelada society, suggesting that females seek kin for inclusive fitness benefits at multiple levels of gelada society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noah Snyder-Mackler
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, 130 Science Dr., Durham, NC, USA
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18
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Wikberg EC, Ting N, Sicotte P. Familiarity is more important than phenotypic similarity in shaping social relationships in a facultative female dispersed primate, Colobus vellerosus. Behav Processes 2014; 106:27-35. [PMID: 24747067 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2014.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2013] [Revised: 03/22/2014] [Accepted: 04/04/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Animals often bias affiliative behaviors toward kin, but it is unclear what mechanism most species use to discriminate kin. We investigated if facultative dispersed female primates use phenotype matching and/or familiarity to discriminate female kin. We studied 38 adult female Colobus vellerosus at Boabeng-Fiema, Ghana. We determined dyadic co-residency status and age proximity using long-term demographic data, R-values from 17 short tandem repeat loci, and interaction rates using focal samples collected during one year. Approach rates were not strongly affected by how long females had resided together, which contrasts to the familiarity hypothesis. Females approached and groomed maternal kin more than other females, which supports the mother-mediated familiarity hypothesis. Females did not discriminate paternal half siblings from non-kin, and they did not prefer to interact with females of similar age. Short-term co-resident kin did not bias affiliation toward each other, indicating that female colobus cannot consistently recognize less familiar kin via phenotype matching or that biasing behaviors toward less familiar kin is not beneficial. Despite showing facultative dispersal that may reduce the accuracy of using familiarity as a kin recognition mechanism, female choice of social partners was based on familiarity, which conforms to the pattern observed in many female philopatric primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva C Wikberg
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, University of Tokyo, Bioscience Building 502, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8562, Japan; Department of Anthropology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, AB T2N1N4, Canada.
| | - Nelson Ting
- Department of Anthropology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, 1218 University of Oregon, 308 Condon Hall, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Pascale Sicotte
- Department of Anthropology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, AB T2N1N4, Canada
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19
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Tokuda M, Boubli JP, Mourthé Í, Izar P, Possamai CB, Strier KB. Males follow females during fissioning of a group of northern muriquis. Am J Primatol 2013; 76:529-38. [PMID: 24301655 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2013] [Revised: 11/05/2013] [Accepted: 11/11/2013] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Although well documented in matrilocal primate species, group fission is still a poorly known phenomenon among patrilocal primates. In this paper we describe in detail a group fission event in the population of northern muriquis at the Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural-Feliciano Miguel Abdala in Caratinga, Minas Gerais, Brazil, using Social Network Analyses (SNA). Data on association patterns were collected during systematic observations from May 2002 to September 2005, and analyzed for dry (from May to October) and rainy seasons (from November to April). The fission process started with subgroup formation in the rainy season 2002-2003, and was completed by the dry season of 2003. By the dry season 2003, the parent group (Jaó) had fissioned to form a second mixed-sex group (Nadir) while a subgroup of males (MU) moved between the parent group and the newly established group. Before the Jaó group fission started (dry season 2002) and during its initial phases (rainy season 2002-2003), females that ultimately composed the daughter group (Nadir) were the most peripheral in the association network. In the rainy season 2002-2003, the median monthly (N=6) operational sex ratio (OSR) of Jaó group was 2.81. However, once Jaó females initiated the fissioning process to establish the Nadir group, the OSR was more favorable to males in the Nadir group than in the Jaó group. Our results suggest that males followed the females to escape an unfavorable OSR in their natal group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcos Tokuda
- Departamento de Psicologia Experimental, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Parque Zoológico Municipal Quinzinho de Barros, Sorocaba, São Paulo, Brazil
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20
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Human Identity and the Evolution of Societies. HUMAN NATURE-AN INTERDISCIPLINARY BIOSOCIAL PERSPECTIVE 2013; 24:219-67. [DOI: 10.1007/s12110-013-9170-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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21
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Langos D, Kulik L, Mundry R, Widdig A. The impact of paternity on male-infant association in a primate with low paternity certainty. Mol Ecol 2013; 22:3638-51. [PMID: 23682587 DOI: 10.1111/mec.12328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2012] [Revised: 03/08/2013] [Accepted: 03/17/2013] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
In multimale groups where females mate promiscuously, male-infant associations have rarely been studied. However, recent studies have shown that males selectively support their offspring during agonistic conflicts with other juveniles and that father's presence accelerates offspring maturation. Furthermore, it was shown that males invest in unrelated infants to enhance future mating success with the infant's mother. Hence, infant care might provide fitness gain for males. Here, we investigate male-infant associations in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta), a primate with low paternity certainty as females mate with multiple partners and males ensure paternity less efficiently through mate-guarding. We combined behavioural data with genetic paternity analyses of one cohort of the semi-free-ranging population of Cayo Santiago (Puerto Rico) and recorded affiliative and aggressive interactions between focal subjects and adult males from birth to sexual maturation (0-4 years) of focal subjects. Our results revealed that 9.6% of all interactions of focal subjects involved an adult male and 94% of all male-infant interactions were affiliative, indicating the rareness of male-infant aggression. Second and most interestingly, sires were more likely to affiliate with their offspring than nonsires with unrelated infants. This preference was independent of mother's proximity and emphasized during early infancy. Male-infant affiliation rose with infant age and was pronounced between adult males and male rather than female focal subjects. Overall, our results suggest that male-infant affiliation is also an important component in structuring primate societies and affiliation directed towards own offspring presumably represent low-cost paternal care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doreen Langos
- Junior Research Group of Primate Kin Selection, Department of Primatology, Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
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22
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Nichols HJ, Jordan NR, Jamie GA, Cant MA, Hoffman JI. Fine-scale spatiotemporal patterns of genetic variation reflect budding dispersal coupled with strong natal philopatry in a cooperatively breeding mammal. Mol Ecol 2012; 21:5348-62. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.12015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2012] [Revised: 07/07/2012] [Accepted: 07/17/2012] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hazel J. Nichols
- Department of Zoology; University of Cambridge; Cambridge; CB2 3EJ; UK
| | - Neil R. Jordan
- Department of Zoology; University of Cambridge; Cambridge; CB2 3EJ; UK
| | - Gabriel A. Jamie
- Department of Zoology; University of Cambridge; Cambridge; CB2 3EJ; UK
| | - Michael A. Cant
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation; University of Exeter; Cornwall Campus; Cornwall; TR10 9EZ; UK
| | - Joseph I. Hoffman
- Department of Animal Behaviour; University of Bielefeld; Postfach 100131; Bielefeld; 33501; Germany
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23
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Kulik L, Muniz L, Mundry R, Widdig A. Patterns of interventions and the effect of coalitions and sociality on male fitness. Mol Ecol 2012; 21:699-714. [PMID: 21880090 PMCID: PMC3232344 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2011.05250.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In group living animals, especially among primates, there is consistent evidence that high-ranking males gain a higher reproductive output than low-ranking males. Primate studies have shown that male coalitions and sociality can impact male fitness; however, it remains unclear whether males could potentially increase their fitness by preferentially supporting and socializing with females. Here we investigate patterns of male interventions and the effect of coalitions and sociality on male fitness in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) with particular focus on male-female interactions. We combined behavioural observations collected on Cayo Santiago with genetic data analysed for male reproductive output and relatedness. Our results revealed that the ten top-ranking males provided the majority of all male support observed. In contrast to other primates, male rhesus macaques mainly formed all-down coalitions suggesting that coalitions are less likely used to enhance male dominance. Males supporting females during and before their likely conception were not more likely to fertilize those females. We also found no evidence that males preferably support their offspring or other close kin. Interestingly, the most important predictor of male support was sociality, since opponents sharing a higher sociality index with a given male were more likely to be supported. Furthermore, a high sociality index of a given male-female dyad resulted in a higher probability of paternity. Overall, our results strengthen the evidence that sociality affects fitness in male primates, but also suggest that in species in which males queue for dominance, it is less likely that males derive fitness benefits from coalitions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars Kulik
- Junior Research Group of Primate Kin Selection, Department of Primatology, Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Institute for Biology, University of Leipzig, Talstrasse 32, 0341 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Laura Muniz
- Junior Research Group of Primate Kin Selection, Department of Primatology, Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Roger Mundry
- Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Anja Widdig
- Junior Research Group of Primate Kin Selection, Department of Primatology, Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Institute for Biology, University of Leipzig, Talstrasse 32, 0341 Leipzig, Germany
- Caribbean Primate Research Center, PO Box 906, Punta Santiago, PR 00741, USA
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25
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Metheny JD, Kalcounis-Rueppell MC, Bondo KJ, Brigham RM. A genetic analysis of group movement in an isolated population of tree-roosting bats. Proc Biol Sci 2008; 275:2265-72. [PMID: 18559322 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2008.0532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Group fission is an important dispersal mechanism for philopatric adults. In Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park, Saskatchewan, tree-roosting big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) exhibit fission-fusion roosting behaviour. During 2004-2007, the majority of females previously resident to roosting area 1 (RA1) moved to a new roosting area (RA4). We examined how genetic relationships, inferred from data for microsatellite loci and mitochondrial DNA, influenced new roost area (RA) selection during 2006 when colony members were split between the RAs. We found that females who moved to RA4 had higher average relatedness than those that remained in RA1. We found that nearly all females belonging to matrilines with high average relatedness moved to RA4 while females from matrilines with low average relatedness were split between the two RAs. These results suggest that closely related maternal kin preferentially move to new RAs. However, daily roosting preferences within a RA are not based on genetic relationships probably because daily roosting associations between kin and non-kin are used to ensure adequate roost group size. Studying the effects of kinship on the fission and movements of groups not only enhances our understanding of social behaviour and population genetics but also informs conservation decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jackie D Metheny
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC 27402, USA.
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26
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Abstract
Advances in our understanding of primate life histories and dispersal patterns provide insights into the ways in which facultative responses to local ecological and demographic conditions are mediated by phylogenetic constraints. The long life spans characteristic of primates provide the necessary conditions for overlapping generations of related individuals to maintain extended kin bonds. Dispersal regimes dictate the opportunities for biological kin to interact with one another and define the range of potential reproductive and social partners within and beyond their natal groups. Dispersal patterns also affect variation in components of life histories such as female age at first reproduction, reproductive rates, and trade-offs between investment in current vs. future offspring and extended kin. Understanding these dynamics has important implications for assessing the viability of small populations and the ability of different primates to adapt.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen B. Strier
- Department of Anthropology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
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Nsubuga AM, Robbins MM, Boesch C, Vigilant L. Patterns of paternity and group fission in wild multimale mountain gorilla groups. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2008; 135:263-74. [PMID: 18000886 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.20740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
To understand variation among social systems, it is essential to know the relative reproductive success of individuals in group-living species. Particularly interesting for such studies are taxa such as mountain gorillas in which both one-male and multimale groups are common, because of the opportunity to estimate the costs and benefits to males of pursuing different reproductive strategies. We genotyped 68 individuals from two groups of multimale mountain gorilla groups in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda to determine the distribution of paternity among the males. In both groups, the dominant male sired the majority of offspring. One group underwent a fission, and we found that the eight offspring assigned to the dominant silverback (and their mothers) remained with their father, while the two offspring of unknown paternity ended up in the small group headed by the formerly subordinate silverback. This is consistent with the proposal that the outcome of group fission in primates is not only influenced by maternal relationships among individuals, but also by patrilineal relationships. Results of this study show that subordinate males may gain reproductive benefits even while queuing for dominance status. Despite ecological differences between Bwindi and the Virunga Volcanoes, male mountain gorillas living in both populations benefit from remaining in multimale groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony M Nsubuga
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany.
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Van Horn RC, Buchan JC, Altmann J, Alberts SC. Divided destinies: group choice by female savannah baboons during social group fission. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2007. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-007-0415-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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31
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Abstract
One of the most important assumptions of kin selection theory is that individuals behave differently towards kin than non-kin. In mammals, there is strong evidence that maternal kin are distinguished from non-kin via familiarity. However, little is known about whether or not mammals can also recognize paternal kin as many female mammals, including primates, mate with multiple males near the time of conception, potentially concealing paternal kinship. Genetic data in several mammalian species with a promiscuous mating system and male-biased dispersal reveal a high skew in male reproduction which leads to co-residing paternal half-siblings. In most primates, individuals also form stable bisexual groups creating opportunities for males to interact with their offspring. Here I consider close paternal kin co-resident in the same social group, such as father-offspring and paternal half-siblings (i.e. animals sharing the same father but who were born to different mothers) and review mammalian studies of paternal kin discrimination. Furthermore, I summarize the most likely mechanisms of paternal kin discrimination (familiarity and phenotype matching). When familiarity is the underlying mechanism, mothers and/or the sire could mediate familiarity among paternal half-siblings as well as between fathers and offspring assuming mothers and/or fathers can assess paternity. When animals use phenotype matching, they might use their fathers' template (when the father is present) or self (when the father is absent) to assess paternal kinship in others. Available evidence suggests that familiarity and phenotype matching might be used for paternal kin discrimination and that both mechanisms might apply to a wide range of social mammals characterized by a high skew in male reproduction and co-residence of paternal kin. Among primates, suggested evidence for phenotype matching can often have an alternative explanation, which emphasizes the crucial importance of controlling for familiarity as a potential confounding variable. However, the mechanism/s used to identify paternal kin might differ within a species (as a function of each individual's specific circumstances) as well as among species (depending upon the key sensory modalities of the species considered). Finally, I discuss the possible cues used in paternal kin discrimination and offer suggestions for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja Widdig
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Department of Primatology, Deutscher Platz 6, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany.
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